Factors Associated with Uptake of Floods Early Warning Information in Butaleja District, Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Background: Globally, millions of people are exposed to floods each year. Efforts to reduce the impact of floods through Floods Early Warning Information (FEWI) are required. Butaleja district which has a vast portion of the total land area covered with wetlands, experiences a lot of floods. The district is generally flat and in a low lying area, this leads to recurrent floods during rainy seasons. The general objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with uptake of floods early warning information in Butaleja district. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. It was conducted in four sub counties in Butaleja district. The study population was head of households. A total of 537 respondents, on average 135 per Sub County were randomly and proportionately selected and interviewed. Eight (8) Key Informants were interviewed. Quantitative data was captured using EPI info and analyzed using STATA version 13. Univariate, bi-variate and multivatiate analysis were done. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The mean age for the respondents was 41.1 years with a standard deviation of 14.7. The uptake of floods early warning information was at 56% (301/537). About 68.5% (366/534) of the respondents use modern floods early warning information. Majority of the respondents 527 (98.1%) had received floods early warning information regarding their community. Factors associated with uptake of floods early warning information were frequency of floods ranging from 6 months to 1 year (Adjusted PR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03-1.39), those who believe that floods are temporary (Adjusted PR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17-0.89) and those who evacuate their home in times of floods (Adjusted PR 1.45, 95% CI 1.21-1.75). From the qualitative data, low public awareness, inadequate dissemination and misconception influenced uptake of floods early warning information. Conclusion: Although most (9.81 in 10) respondents receive floods early warning information, just over half reported high uptake. Low public awareness, inadequate dissemination and misconceptions should be addressed to improve uptake of floods early warning information.